Figure 4.13

5. To automatically crop pixels around the figure's outer border, choose Image > Trim. Click the Top Left Pixel Color radio button, leave everything checked in the Trim Away group, and click OK.

Figure 4.14 shows the final trimmed figure as entourage, complete with alpha channel. A version of this image is also included in the color section.

6. The last step is to save the file in a format that supports an alpha channel. Choose File > Save As. Select TIFF from the Format menu and be sure Alpha Channels is checked in the Save Options group. Save the file as WomanStanding.tif (also provided on the CD). In the TIFF Options Dialog box, select LZW in the Compression Group, and for the byte order, select the platform on which you are working. You can close the file when you're finished.

TIP The Targa (*.tga) and TIFF (*.tif) formats support alpha channels, and both are commonly used in 3D programs such as Autodesk VIZ and Discreet 3ds max. You will use the file you save here later in this chapter, in the "Entourage in Autodesk VIZ" section. Alpha channels are preserved when files are saved in TGA, PSD, PDF, PICT, P1XAR, TIFF, or RAW formats.